Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Friday, August 29, 2025

407 Low Water Vegetables

Gardeners who want to save water with wise irrigating techniques might consider an unusual approach: plant crops that don't require much water in the first place. Today, Marlene Simon, the Plant Lady,...

Friday, August 22, 2025

Mid-Summer Tomato Report

In this episode, we talk with Don Shor from Redwood Barn Nursery about summer gardening - specifically tomatoes - in the context of this year's mild weather. We share successes with tomato varieties ...

Friday, August 15, 2025

405 Q&A: Who's Eating My Melons? Growing Fava Beans.

Q&A: How to Grow Fava Beans as a cover crop or an edible. Controlling Roof Rats in the Garden (good luck!) Farmer Fred's Ride for the Kids! (https://bit.ly/4lmr09E) Previous episodes, show note...

Friday, August 8, 2025

404 Harvest Day Garden Tips

One of the best places to get your garden questions answered is at the annual gathering of local Master Gardeners, gardening professionals, and horticultural consultants at Harvest Day, held the first...

Friday, August 1, 2025

403 Battling Fusarium Wilt

Why are some of my plants turning yellow and dying? One possibility: fusarium wilt. We address the challenges posed by fusarium wilt, a destructive, soil-borne fungal disease impacting favorite gar...

Friday, July 25, 2025

402 Edible Succulents

In this episode of the Garden Basics podcast, I speak with succulent expert Debra Lee Baldwin about the world of edible succulents. We delve into what defines succulents, their survival in arid condit...

Friday, July 18, 2025

401 Home Landscaping Tips for Fire Safety

We examine the growing wildfire risks for homeowners, particularly in fire-prone areas across the United States. We get insights from Kevin Marini, a UC Defensible Space Advisor. He highlights the imp...

Friday, July 11, 2025

400 Top 4 Garden Topics of All Time

To celebrate Episode 400 of the Garden Basics podcast, we present the four most listened-to garden topics in the history of the podcast. Topics include: starting a victory garden; growing caneberri...

Friday, July 4, 2025

399 Understanding Seed Packets

Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net (https://bit.ly/3tnEh9K) . Transcripts and episode chap...

Friday, June 27, 2025

398 Aromatic Plants, plus Roses!

In this podcast, you’ll hear from these U.C. Sacramento County Master Gardeners and their favorite aromatic plants: Collete Armao - Scented Geraniums (https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardener...

Friday, June 20, 2025

397 Garden Lessons Learned (the hard way)

Master gardeners share lessons from their mistakes, covering topics like thinning fruit, plant spacing, and pest management, highlighting gardening as a continuous learning experience filled with humo...

Friday, June 13, 2025

396 Cucumber Success Tips

Today, we dive into the world of cucumbers, the second most popular crop among backyard gardeners. Debbie Flower shares her expertise on cucumber varieties, growing techniques, and addressing common i...

Videos

We'd Love To Chat!

Listen

Follow

Contact Us

Thanks for contacting us! We will get in touch with you shortly.

Subscribe, don't miss the next episode!

You're on the list, good choice - thanks for subscribing!